Belgian Congo

Belgian colonialism in the Congo Basin has often been cited as an extreme case of how a narrow minded focus in the extraction of resources by a colonial power can have dramatic negative consequences on local populations and result in a lack of infrastructure and stable governance. During the period of 1908 to 1960 Belgian powers sought to control the rich resources of the Congo Basin. Through widespread fear tactics and suppression of the local populace the Belgians enslaved locals to work…

though there had been a lot of resistance by the Congo people to Belgian rule since the 1800’s, the people did not seriously consider gaining independence until the 1950’s. The independence movement officially started in January 1959. This period in history was a perfect time for the people of the Congo to stand up to Belgium. This is because after World War Two Belgium was not in a good condition because of the Nazi invasion and having over 85,000 Belgian casualties in World War Two. Many…

“Congo is now total horror story, for years.” This is what Noam Chomsky, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, said after the murder of Patrice Lumumba, former Prime Minister of the DRC, on January the 17th 1961. Unfortunately, he saw right. Since a few decades now, it has been widely observed that the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Central African developing country and former Belgian colony, has been the stage of great instability; and notably massive human…

well. The exile brought about the election of Lumumba, which in turn proved to produce ideas that would benefit the Congo. Lumumba’s election also resulted in higher morale. The Congolese were still loyal and remembered what could have been under Lumumba after his murder. The Congolese passion and loyalty for Lumumba, however, could possibly have resulted from the trials that the Congo was going through at the time. In Leah’s case, malaria made her feelings exaggerated and she will forever love…

the topics we were interested in as a group. Ariel focused on colonial theory in the novel, Caitriona focused on comparing the Congo to the Irish Troubles and my focus was on the representation of decolonization and injustice in the novel. Bennett’s novel make use of allegory and parallels in dealing with political issues. The Catastrophist, deals with the Belgian Congo on the eve of independence while also highlighting issues of legal injustice. In 1994, Bennett spoke out about British…

Soviet Union’s intervention into the Congo Crisis. In the years leading to the Congo Crisis, tensions heightened between the world’s two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. “After World War II, the relentless pursuit of resources was overshadowed by the political and ideological exigencies of the U. S. -Soviet rivalry” (Klare 50). However, the United States was perceived to be losing the arms race. So, the U.S. sought strategic minerals in the Congo, and established a pseudo…

Imperialism is the policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many countries invaded other countries and took over by force, ruling harshly in order to get whatever it was they needed from the country. Often, imperialistic countries were looking for raw materials and other means to better their own economies by expanding into the country they had just entered. The imperialism practiced by America and Belgium…

Republic of Congo gained their independence.…

The act of imperialism was first introduced in 1870. Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military action. This became very popular throughout the European countries but, also very competitive between the countries. This caused many conflicts. Eventually, this lead to the start of World War I. The proceeding affair stretched throughout the late 19th century and ending around the start of the 20th century. European countries were the biggest…

into the Congo, the essence of his character and soul alter as the horror of the discoveries he makes shape him. Going into a region antithetical of their upbringing, the change in landscape and people cause a change in morals that draw the men towards the inability to discern right from wrong. Succumbing to the influence of greed and power, the men allow themselves to indulge in their vices and turn their journey into a potential downfall. Instead of becoming a beacon of light in the Congo,…